A Civilized People

Overview

Lebanese director Randa Chahal Sabbag spins this bleak war drama about the brutal absurdity of the urban warfare of Beirut during the 1980s. Opening with the shocking image of kittens being blown apart, the film loosely follows the travails of Bernadette (Nada Ghosn), a naïve country girl sent to the city as a maid for a mansion long since abandoned by the owners. There she meets Therese (Renee Dick), a veteran house cleaner who takes her under her wing. One day, while accompanying her friend to the cemetery, she meets a rakish Arab militiaman, and the two fall in love.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

September 4, 1999

Original language

French

Spoken languages

French

Production

ARTE France Cinéma

Cast

Sotigui Kouyaté,Hassan Mrad,Carmen Lebbos,Renée Dick,Tamim Chahal,Bruno Todeschini,Paul Mattar,Jalila Baccar,Myrna Maakaron

Director

Randa Chahal Sabbag

Writer

Randa Chahal Sabbag

Cinematography

Roby Breidi,Ricardo Jacques Gale,Gale Breidi

Music

Ziad Rahbani

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

tt0209973